Transport Malta is investigating reports of alleged illegal activities by watersport facility operators at Għadira Bay.
Private boat owners who wish to anchor at the popular bay during the summer season have complained of harassment from these operators.
Speaking anonymously to Times of Malta, one boat owner described how a company has “practically taken over the entire bay illegally by placing several unregistered and illegal moorings, charging boaters a daily fee for using them”.
A spokesperson for Transport Malta said the Maritime Enforcement Unit is actively investigating several reports of irregularities at Għadira Bay
He and others who refused to pay were allegedly driven out of the bay, with one operator “hurling expletives” and displaying “very aggressive behaviour for simply anchoring in a spot where he was planning to cram in more boats”.
A spokesperson for Transport Malta said the Maritime Enforcement Unit is actively investigating several reports of irregularities at Għadira Bay.
“The investigation is still ongoing as more details and information are being gathered,” the spokesperson stated.
One reader recounted how, on Sunday morning, he was told off by an operator because “we had not booked a mooring in advance”.
The boater said that later in the day, after finding an empty spot, the same operator returned, hurling abuse and obscenities.
“What irritated me most was the way he thinks he owns the sea,” he said.
Bathers' safety
Concerns have also been raised about the safety of bathers and boaters due to the illegal moorings, which have been deployed so close to each other that they leave little space for other boaters to anchor freely.
Some moorings have even been installed within the ferry way in the swimmers’ zone, an area meant to remain unobstructed for safe passage.
Transport Malta confirmed that watersport companies are not permitted to rent moorings in public bays, although they can apply for mooring permits for their commercial vessels.
While no standard distance between moorings is established, a safe operational space should be maintained between vessels, according to the agency.
The Moorings and Berthings Unit monitors the situation and reports illegal activities to the Maritime Enforcement Unit and the police, who then take enforcement action as necessary.